The Wrestlers
From the bright lights of Florida to the spotless streets of Japan and the chaos of the Congo, Damian Abraham dives headlong into the fascinating ways cultures around the world have embraced one of America's greatest exports: professional wrestling.
- 2018-2019
- 1 season
- Viceland
- Documentary
From the bright lights of Florida to the spotless streets of Japan and the chaos of the Congo, Damian Abraham dives headlong into the fascinating ways cultures around the world have embraced one of America's greatest exports: professional wrestling.
Season 1 Episode Guide
10 Episodes 2018 - 2019
Episode 1
The Best New Wrestling Talent in America
Wed, May 22, 2019 44 mins
Few people have had a larger impact on pro wrestling than veteran promoter Gabe Sapolsky. Damian follows Gabe's crew on an American tour as he trains the next crop of superstars.
Episode 2
The Changing Face of Wrestling/Life After Wrestling
Wed, May 29, 2019 45 mins
Damien documents the handoff of one generation to the next by visiting a famed wreslter, MVP, at the close of his career, and profiling the rise of one of wrestlers newest stars.
Episode 4
Smash the Patriarchy
60 mins
Damian travels to Florida and Bolivia to learn how women around the world are using professional wrestling to battle inequality, misogyny and domestic abuse.
Episode 5
The Only Show in Town
60 mins
Damian heads to northern Quebec to join a crew of wrestlers who brave weather and isolation to bring professional wrestling to remote and disadvantaged First Nation communities.
Episode 6
DDT: The Craziest Wrestling in Japan
45 mins
Invisible wrestlers, blow-up dolls and water park matches have all become part of Japan's DDT (Dramatic Dream Team) Wrestling, the worlds strangest wrestling promotion.
Episode 7
Joshi Puro: Japan's Finest Wrestlers
45 mins
Damian visits Tokyo to learn why Japan boasts the finest women's wrestling in the world, and meets the upcoming generation of female wrestlers.
Episode 8
Voodoo Wrestling
44 mins
In war-torn Congo, a cultural collision has made one of wrestling's strangest subgenres: voodoo wrestling, in which suplexes and powerbombs mix with hexes and deadly black magic.
Episode 10
Death Match
Wed, Jun 12, 2019 44 mins
On the fringe of wrestling is Deathmatch, where wrestlers battling with barbed wire, razor blades and broken glass, challenge the idea that wrestling is fake.
Episode 11
The Next Wave of Mexican Luchadores
Wed, May 22, 2019 44 mins
As Mexico copes with an ever-present drug war and Trump's Wall, Lucha Libre is more popular than ever, and some wrestlers see Lucha as their ticket to America.
Episode 12
Body Slamming Homophobia in Mexico
44 mins
Exoticos, male wrestlers who embrace the feminine and dress in drag inside the ring, have been defying the macho side of Lucha Libre for decades.